❓ Question regarding changes in youth justice following media comments on a cultural shift towards early intervention. The Minister outlines progress in reducing juvenile detention numbers and improvements at Banksia Hill.
AnsweredQoN 471Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CORRECTIVE SERVICES — YOUTH JUSTICE
471. MR N.W. MORTON to the Minister for Corrective Services:
I would like to welcome to the
public gallery Ethan Molinar who is a political science student at Arizona
State University. I welcome him and it is great to see him take an interest in
Western Australian politics.
My question is to the Minister for
Corrective Services. I refer to the media comment today by the Youth Affairs
Council of Western Australia noting a cultural shift towards early intervention
in the youth justice system. Can the minister update the house on the changes
made in the youth justice area of corrective services?
471. MR N.W. MORTON to the Minister for Corrective Services:
I would like to welcome to the
public gallery Ethan Molinar who is a political science student at Arizona
State University. I welcome him and it is great to see him take an interest in
Western Australian politics.
My question is to the Minister for
Corrective Services. I refer to the media comment today by the Youth Affairs
Council of Western Australia noting a cultural shift towards early intervention
in the youth justice system. Can the minister update the house on the changes
made in the youth justice area of corrective services?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question
and his continued interest in this very, very important area when we are trying
to reduce the number of juveniles in particular in detention in Western
Australia—and very specially, the number of Aboriginal juveniles in
detention in Western Australia. I also acknowledge the tabling of the report
yesterday into Banksia Hill by Professor Neil Morgan, the Inspector of
Custodial Services. He made a number of significant recommendations, but also
findings, in that report. I encourage any member who is interested in this
space to look at that report. He reflected on the significant improvements made
by the Department of Corrective Services over the last couple of years,
particularly the management of Banksia Hill Detention Centre.
I can inform the house that today
the total number of juveniles in detention at Banksia Hill is 143, down from
206 just two years ago. That is a one-third reduction in the population of that
facility. Not only that, the facility out at Banksia Hill has seen a
significantly more settled approach, far stronger leadership and also a 25 per
cent increase in the number of staff. Although we acknowledge that the report
makes a number of recommendations, the government is making a lot of progress
in some areas way ahead of time—such as the implementation of the Youth
Justice Board and the separation of youth justice from adult justice within the
Department of Corrective Services. The reality is—let us face it—that
kids need a different type of treatment program and incarceration from adults.
There is certainly also an improvement in the availability of bail
accommodation, which has made a big difference to the population there as well.
We are also undertaking a review of juvenile justice teams.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Willagee, I call you to order for the first time; I call the member
for Warnbro for the first time. If you want to have private meetings or
interesting conversations, go outside.
Mr J.M. FRANCIS : I
have been driving fairly hard, as the Speaker would know, the commencement of
the Telethon Kids Institute foetal alcohol spectrum disorder pilot program at
Banksia Hill. On top of that, there is the youth justice innovation fund.
Members would have also noticed that a couple of weeks ago we announced a $520 000
program with the Aboriginal Legal Service of Western Australia over two years
for mentoring and diversion of juveniles within the juvenile justice system. I note
the comments this morning made by Craig Comrie from the Youth Affairs Council
when he said he thought it was a demonstration of a cultural shift—namely,
a desire by government and in the department to really, really deal with the
issue. We are committed to trying to address the troubled lives of some very
unique Western Australian juveniles who are in detention. We want to break the
mould; we want to keep them out of the adult prison system so we do not see
them waste their entire human capital. It is a shame that the Labor Party
continues to misdiagnose the problem in corrections. For some reason, it keeps
banging on about fine defaulters. We are getting on and dealing with the real
issues in corrections and making a lot of progress. We are very proud of our
achievements.
and his continued interest in this very, very important area when we are trying
to reduce the number of juveniles in particular in detention in Western
Australia—and very specially, the number of Aboriginal juveniles in
detention in Western Australia. I also acknowledge the tabling of the report
yesterday into Banksia Hill by Professor Neil Morgan, the Inspector of
Custodial Services. He made a number of significant recommendations, but also
findings, in that report. I encourage any member who is interested in this
space to look at that report. He reflected on the significant improvements made
by the Department of Corrective Services over the last couple of years,
particularly the management of Banksia Hill Detention Centre.
I can inform the house that today
the total number of juveniles in detention at Banksia Hill is 143, down from
206 just two years ago. That is a one-third reduction in the population of that
facility. Not only that, the facility out at Banksia Hill has seen a
significantly more settled approach, far stronger leadership and also a 25 per
cent increase in the number of staff. Although we acknowledge that the report
makes a number of recommendations, the government is making a lot of progress
in some areas way ahead of time—such as the implementation of the Youth
Justice Board and the separation of youth justice from adult justice within the
Department of Corrective Services. The reality is—let us face it—that
kids need a different type of treatment program and incarceration from adults.
There is certainly also an improvement in the availability of bail
accommodation, which has made a big difference to the population there as well.
We are also undertaking a review of juvenile justice teams.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Willagee, I call you to order for the first time; I call the member
for Warnbro for the first time. If you want to have private meetings or
interesting conversations, go outside.
Mr J.M. FRANCIS : I
have been driving fairly hard, as the Speaker would know, the commencement of
the Telethon Kids Institute foetal alcohol spectrum disorder pilot program at
Banksia Hill. On top of that, there is the youth justice innovation fund.
Members would have also noticed that a couple of weeks ago we announced a $520 000
program with the Aboriginal Legal Service of Western Australia over two years
for mentoring and diversion of juveniles within the juvenile justice system. I note
the comments this morning made by Craig Comrie from the Youth Affairs Council
when he said he thought it was a demonstration of a cultural shift—namely,
a desire by government and in the department to really, really deal with the
issue. We are committed to trying to address the troubled lives of some very
unique Western Australian juveniles who are in detention. We want to break the
mould; we want to keep them out of the adult prison system so we do not see
them waste their entire human capital. It is a shame that the Labor Party
continues to misdiagnose the problem in corrections. For some reason, it keeps
banging on about fine defaulters. We are getting on and dealing with the real
issues in corrections and making a lot of progress. We are very proud of our
achievements.
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